


Joker & The Thief

by xammx



Series: The Songs of Spencer Reid [3]
Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gambling, Gun Violence, Joker & The Thief, Kissing, Las Vegas, Love Confessions, Minor Violence, POV Female Character, Poker, Reader-Insert, Swingers, Undercover, Undercover as Married, Undercover as a Couple, Unsub | Unknown Subject, Wolfmother, casino - Freeform, inspired by songs I like
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-07
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-12 10:40:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29259102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xammx/pseuds/xammx
Summary: You & Spencer go undercover as a couple to catch an unsub and secrets are revealed when you're held at gunpoint.
Relationships: Spencer Reid & You, Spencer Reid/Reader
Series: The Songs of Spencer Reid [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2122818
Comments: 4
Kudos: 91





	Joker & The Thief

**Author's Note:**

> For the sake of the fic, Spencer isn't banned from Vegas in this one  
> she/her pronouns for reader
> 
> Song: Joker & The Thief by Wolfmother

**_“Life is not always a matter of holding good cards, but sometimes, playing a poor hand well.”_ **

**_Jack London_ **

**_-_ **

“Stay near the poker tables, it’s where the unsub frequents. Morgan and Prentiss will be near you if he escalates, but we’re looking to walk out without a fight.” 

You listened as Hotch relayed this information into your ear piece and you replied with a quiet affirmative. Spencer walked beside you, surprised at how quickly you could move while donning a cocktail dress and six inch heels. He didn’t look too shabby in his undercover garb either - fitting handsomely into a classic black suit with his hair combed back. You always loved being able to see his face clearly. His eyes were your favorite feature.

Spencer’s gaze slipped downwards as he admired your stilettos, his eyes dragging up your bare legs exposed by the slit in your dress. Even though he wouldn’t admit it, Spencer had always had a thing for a pretty girl in an expensive pair of shoes. _The higher, the better._ His cheeks reddened as his imagination began to wander, but he quickly grounded himself when he realized the types of thoughts that were flooding his mind. 

The media had already nicknamed your unsub “T _he Nevada Couple Killer”_ after his repeated crimes of murdering newlywed’s on the strip. When he wasn’t luring, drugging and killing couples, he could be found satisfying his gambling addiction in Las Vegas casinos; presumably where he would also hunt for his next victims. You made a mental note to send Garcia a basket of flowers for all these details and for her help on the case, but your work wasn’t finished just yet. 

The two of you entered the Bellagio Hotel & Casino and you gave a kind nod of appreciation to a man who held the door open. Spencer instantly wished you hadn’t been so polite though, as he followed the stranger’s inappropriate gaze to where it was resting on your backside. Reid cleared his throat, shooting the man a look that made him dart his head away rather sheepishly.

“You okay?” You asked Reid, noticing his stern glare. 

“Fine. Thanks.” He gave a small smile, almost tripping as you came to an abrupt halt in front of him.

“Holy shit.” You said in awe, taking in the extravagance of your surroundings. You admired the grand chandelier in the hotel’s main area, a brilliant cluster of jewels in all shapes, sizes, and colors. You had been to Nevada only once before on assignment, but you never had a proper opportunity to sightsee on the strip. Spencer was originally from Las Vegas so you assumed it was nothing new to him, but to you it was like being a kid in a candy store. A candy store of debauchery. 

“Casino’s this way.” You felt Reid’s gentle hand on the small of your back, guiding you further into the hotel. 

“So,” Spencer began, his voice low. “Can you play poker?”

“Card games aren’t exactly my specialty.” You laughed, your eyes casually glancing around the room as you walked. Your head turned to the aria of arcade noise and the percussion of coins falling through slots and into metal trays. You wondered how many people actually won jackpots from those machines despite the low odds. 

“The odds of winning a jackpot prize on slot machines are just under one in fifty million. 49,836,032 to be exact.” Reid recited and your mouth fell agape in incredulity. 

“How did you...I was wondering about that!”

“I’m good at my job sometimes.” He smiled. “Plus, those are based solely on luck not skill, unlike the card tables we’ll find our unsub at. Skill is necessary, luck is just appreciated.” 

Suddenly feeling bold, you took Spencer’s hand in yours.

“Well then, I guess tonight I’ll be your good luck charm.” 

It was as if a butterfly habitat had erupted in his stomach. 

_You_ wanted to be his good luck charm. 

“Sure.” He said simply after a moment, then carefully led you to a poker table that had exactly two vacant seats at the end. 

You watched Spencer play, impressed by how effortless he made it seem. You already knew he was brilliant, and yet he never failed to surprise you. With his left hand still interlocked with yours, his right hand rested near the stack of colored chips he’d acquired playing in a short amount of time. You mentally calculated their value, equaling no less than a few thousand dollars in cash. Reid didn’t move much, his attention directed towards the card shoe next to the dealer, as if he was focusing all his energy to influence the outcome of the game. You heard Hotch in your ear, notifying you that he had eyes on the unsub approaching your table. You looked at Spencer momentarily and he caught your eye, but you couldn’t gauge his expression. Then a stranger’s voice came from the other side of you. 

“You playing mama?” 

Your head followed the voice and you locked eyes with the unsub. He was confident, polished and slightly better looking than the photos you had received from Garcia. He wore a lightweight, Italian-cut suit, and a pale blue shirt that complimented the olive tones of his skin. He had thick black hair and a tiny diamond stud that glittered in his left earlobe. He was a few inches taller than you, but appeared towering as he stood above you with a questioning brow. 

You flashed him a prize-winning smile.

“No, I’m not. Please take my seat sir, I insist.” 

You vacated the chair, finding a spot to stand behind Spencer and brought your hands to rest on his shoulders. The unsub watched you for several seconds as if pondering your behavior and then slowly sat down beside Reid. 

A new hand was dealt to the table and you watched as your unsub grew increasingly agitated by his losses to Spencer. With every hand he lost, he would wave down a waitress for another drink. It took three before he finally turned to you. 

“Your friend here sure knows what he’s doing.” He muttered, finishing off his beverage in one swift gulp. 

“My husband is a man of many talents.” You said proudly, giving him a reassuring squeeze of his shoulders. Spencer couldn’t help but blush at the fake title, it just sounded so natural spilling from your lips. And it felt... _so good._

The unsubs eyebrow shot up as he motioned to your ring finger.

“You’re not wearing a ring.”

_Shit._

Silently you swore at your own stupidity, how did you manage to miss that giant detail?

“She’s having it resized as we speak. I, uh, may have underestimated my wife’s finger size.” 

Spencer lied smoothly, taking one of your hands and kissing your fingers gently. You instantly warmed. 

The unsub made a face as if he bought the dishonesty and nodded. 

“Well, we should celebrate this new matrimony, don't you think? I’m sure you two are looking for some fun tonight.” His grin stretched into a wicked smile that implied more than what was said. 

“Oh we are.” You chimed in eagerly, glancing down at Spencer. “Aren’t we baby?” 

“Absolutely. We like fun.” Reid concurred.

“I’m here on business. I got a room upstairs, the view is spectacular. Plus I’d be happy to get room service to bring us some champagne, so we can toast properly.” 

“Are you sure? I mean, we couldn’t possibly.” You mused sheepishly, your face instantly flushing. 

“Look, I’ll be real with you sweetheart. I know a pair of swingers when I see ‘em. One’s company, two’s a crowd, but three? Three is a party.”

For a serial killer, he spoke more like a used car salesman trying to palm off an old lady. 

“Oh I don’t know…” You tried again, feigning uncertainty. 

“I insist. You know what they say, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.”

“They do say that.” Spencer murmured in agreeance. 

The three of you stood up, Spencer pocketing some of his chips before taking your hand in his. Your fingers intertwined comfortably, and he gave your hand a soft small squeeze, gratified to feel one in return. In your earpiece, Hotch let you both know that Morgan and Prentiss were on foot and trailing behind closely, ready to swoop in if necessary. You followed the unsub wordlessly through the casino and into the resort tower where he had a suite, suddenly feeling very aware of the gun holstered in your thigh garter under your dress. 

The suite was incredibly spacious, including a sitting area, a wet bar and a massive bedroom. The huge windows in the bedroom provided a panoramic view of the Las Vegas strip. 

“I love it here. The atmosphere, the people. A place to let your inhibitions run wild.”

Spencer’s grip on your hand had barely loosened. In fact, it was tighter now than it was before. You watched the unsub take a seat on the couch, facing you and Reid. 

“Well? You gonna kiss your wife?” 

Spencer’s eyebrows shot up. 

“I, uh, pardon?”

“Kiss her.” The unsub repeated, the tone indicating that it was not a request. 

Before you could register what was happening, you felt two hands clasp onto either side of your face. Spencer kissed you, something sweet and slow, and it wrapped an ache around your entire body. Whatever this feeling was, it was so right. This kiss had always been in the back of your mind, a fantasy, a daydream and now it was happening. 

And it was over just as quickly as it began.

Both your heads turned to the unsub as he let out a dissatisfied groan. 

“Christ man. Fucking kiss her better than that! I want a show. I want you to _taste_ her.” 

You looked at Reid, your heart suddenly beating faster when you realized you’d never seen this look in his eyes before. His gaze flickered between your eyes and lips, his body pressing closer to yours as he moved a hand slowly down your back, resting on the small of it. The other enclasped the nape of your neck, his thumb stroking your warm skin. He watched you for a beat, as if he was silently asking for permission to kiss you again. You were barely able to move your lips and mouth the word _yes_ as you waited for him to continue. 

The second kiss was nothing like the first. This one made all the heat in your body rise to the surface, causing your cheeks to flush as he kissed and nibbled at your lips. You allowed his tongue to slide past your bottom lip, delicately brushing against yours as you let him take all of you. This kiss wasn’t sweet, this kiss was desperate. Passionate. Overdue. Full of eagerness and desire and every lewd thought Reid had ever suppressed due to the fact that you were co-workers and he had been too afraid to ever let you know how he really felt about you. 

You pulled away to catch your breath, panting as you stared back at the wide-eyed boy in front of you. His lips were slightly swollen and you couldn’t help but crack a small smile. 

He looked so fucking good. 

“Better.”

The unsub was approaching you now and you wondered if Morgan was in position at the door. 

“Tell me something, do you love her?” 

He was speaking to Spencer now while he caressed your hair. Twisting a lock around his finger slowly as he stood behind you, you felt every hair on your body stand on edge. His breath was hot against your neck. When you glanced up, you saw something instantly gather in Spencer’s reaction. It was a look you didn’t recognize. 

It was anger. 

He was angry at the unsub for touching _you_. 

He furrowed his brow in confusion. 

“What?” 

Before you had a second to register, the unsub’s hand was wrapped around your throat and your gun was pulled from your thigh holster. You felt the barrel press hard into your temple.

“You both think I’m fucking stupid!?” The unsub bellowed. “I knew you were fucking cops the second I laid eyes on you both. And now your little bitch will get a bullet in her fucking head.” 

Reid’s gun was pulled equally as fast, pointed directly at the unsub. 

“You don’t need to hurt her. You don’t want to hurt an FBI agent. You kill her and you will go down too. I know you don’t want that.”

“No, YOU don’t want that. Cause that means you wouldn’t have her alive. And that’s what you want, isn’t it?” 

Your mouth fell agape as it suddenly donned on you. All along you were under the impression that your unsub killed couples because it fulfilled a sexual fantasy, but you hadn’t realized he wasn’t killing for sexual purposes. He was killing in rage. He was jealous over the one thing he couldn’t have. Your voice came out barely above a whisper as you relayed this to Hotch. 

“You're killing these couples because you want what they have. They have something you don’t. It was never about the sex.” 

“You’re one smart bitch.” The unsub sneered. 

“But Spencer and I aren’t together. We are co-workers.” You reasoned, his grip on your throat tightening, choking you. 

“You’ve got to be fucking blind.” He gestured with his head toward Spencer. “He loves you. You don’t fucking see it?”

“Put the gun down.” Reid tried again, his tone softer this time, attempting not to plea.

You felt a wave of nausea hit as the gun continued to press uncomfortably into the side of your face. You were nervous of what Spencer would say. The lies he would fabricate just to get you out of this situation. _If_ he could get you out. 

“Do you love her?” 

“I...well, I-“

“Do. You. Love. Her.”

“Yes! I do. Of course I do.” His voice raspy at his confession. “Very much. Yes.”

“How much?”

He paused for what seemed like a very long time to gather his thoughts, then he cleared his throat. His gaze bounced between the gun and the unsub before resting firmly on you. 

“I know she takes her coffee with cream and one sugar, but two sugars if she’s had a particularly rough night. She likes French poetry; Baudelaire, Verlaine, and Gautier to name a few. She doesn’t like mushrooms - unless it’s cream of mushroom soup, and she hates the word _lugubrious_. She often doodles when she’s deep in thought, but only cartoon animals with freakishly large features. She always keeps change on her, just in case she passes someone on the street in need. She can bake a mean vanilla cake. She does so much for everyone around her....that sometimes I think she loses perspective on how special she really is. I don’t think I’ve ever felt this way about anyone. I didn’t know you could feel this way about someone. To me, she’s the most beautiful person in the world.”

Spencer’s eyes burned with sincerity as he watched you. You swore you saw his lip quiver momentarily, and you know immediately not to doubt a single word he had spoken. 

He _loved_ you.

You heard the gun cock. 

You closed your eyes, terrified to see Spencer’s face before you died. You weren’t scared of death, but you were afraid of the grief he would face no longer having you with him. Perhaps you’d both be reunited someday, in a warm place or in the afterlife if there was one. You prayed he wouldn’t blame himself, but you knew he would anyways. You loved him. You always did. You always would. You were so deeply sorry he'd have to watch you die, and you wished that he knew it hurt you more than it could ever hurt him. And then you held your breath as you anticipated the gunshot. 

You heard it before you felt it, like a firecracker went off right next to your ear. Your nostrils filled with the sharp tang of sulfur, your body fighting the urge to fall. You bent back, resisting the dead weight that tried to drag you down, and allowed Spencer’s arms to enclose you as the body of the unsub collapsed onto the floor beside you both. You hung on as tightly as you could, and it took you a second or two to realize that you were alive. 

Morgan entered the area from the bedroom, gun drawn as he took down the unsub with a single killshot to the back of the head. Morgan had made the call to fire. There was no talking him down; it was either him or you. And Derek Morgan would be damned if he let some psycho take one of his girls away from him. Prentiss followed tightly behind, bending to check the pulse of your unsub to confirm he was gone. 

“You alright?” Morgan eyed you up and down. 

You nodded. 

“Yeah. Yes I’ll be fine.”

Morgan gave Reid a light pat on the back, impressed. 

“Good work keeping him distracted Kid, we were able to access the adjoined suite next door and get into the bedroom undetected. You saved the day Romeo.” 

You couldn’t help but smirk at the nickname. You exhaled deeply, realizing you were still clinging to Spencer as he held you, your head on his chest as you stood together. 

“I’m gonna take her out for some air.” Spencer announced to the group as they entered the hotel room with police, brushing past the crowd and escorting you out and into the hallway.

You stayed silent in the elevator and your walk through the lobby, your ears still ringing slightly and your neck sore. The adrenaline was still coursing through your body. Spencer made sure you were able to stand on your own before he let you go, his body still shielding you protectively as you leaned on a nearby wall. It felt so good to breathe in fresh air. You inhaled deeply as you stood outside the casino, your eyes sore from the police lights flashing and whirling from all the cop cars parked out front. 

“I meant what I said.”

Reid finally said after much silence, but he was not looking at you.

“That I bake a mean cake?” You teased and at your joking tone he met your gaze. He tried to suppress his chuckle but failed.

“Well, yes. That. And...the other stuff.”

It was your turn to kiss him. So you did.

He jolted unexpectedly at the collision of your lips. Your intensity had surprised him but it was still more welcome than ever. It may have been the near-death experience, the adrenaline, the long overdue emotion or all of the above which had caused you to kiss him the way you did, but Spencer wasn’t complaining. He finally had you. Now he’d just have to work up the courage to ask you out on a proper date. Entangling your fingers in his hair you pulled away, touching his nose gently to yours. 

“I love you too Spencer Reid.”

**Author's Note:**

> hope ya'll enjoyed, also I take fic requests in the comments xx


End file.
